Hearing devices may include hearing aids or a device with a transducer for providing personalized sound to an individual's ear. For example, hearing aids may be used to assist a person suffering from hearing loss by transmitting amplified sound directly to the person's ear canals. In one example, a hearing aid is worn in and/or around a person's ear and may be contoured with curved surfaces to facilitate comfort in use. Many hearing devices are portably powered with a battery. Some hearing devices with rechargeable batteries may be recharged in a specific charging station.
Various charging stations utilize direct connections through conductive metal plates or pins that make contact with metal plates or pins on the hearing device for charging, such as blade or pogo-pin style chargers that have net shape pockets or magnetic assist retainers. Typically, the hearing device must be placed standing on end and aligned according to the proper polarity to facilitate insertion for charging. A direct connection may transfer electrical power efficiently, but such chargers may require precise seating of the hearing device in a “blind” pocket to ensure proper charging, may suffer from scratched or damaged contact plates with repeated charging cycles, and may be difficult to clean. Some other charging stations are wireless, such as an induction style charger. A wireless connection may accommodate flexible placement of a hearing device on a charging pad, but such chargers are complex and are often inefficient in transferring electrical power.